Those big eyes. Amelie's big eyes stare at you with that unassuming but independent and engaging vitality. A small spotlight on the "Amelie" poster makes those big eyes pop even more until the lights go dark and the movie previews start to roll at the Magic Theatre.
The "Amelie" poster has become a fixture of this movie house in the Seven Hills district of Nevada City - symbolic, perhaps, of the engaging vitality of one of the smallest independent movie houses in the United States (only 65 seats). The poster is surely emblematic of the modest success of the Magic Theatre. Not only is "Amelie" the kind of independent film that the Magic Theatre showcases, but it also packed the house night after night. If the Magic Theatre can have three films per year with those kind of ticket sales, that is just about enough to run a viable little business all year. Just about enough to keep independent film going strong in independent little Nevada County.
To call "Amelie" the kind of independent film that the Magic Theatre shows does not do justice to the eclectic choices that manager Jason Graham makes. Foreign language films have a foothold. Documentary films have a foothold. Political films have a foothold. Even a mainstream bust like Ben Affleck in "Jersey Girl" had a run at the Magic. Why? Well, if you're running an independent movie house with a passion and Kevin Smith is the director ("Dogma," "Clerks"), you do it.
Typically, a film has appeared in the larger markets already. Independent films make their rounds with a small number of prints, so the Magic may be a couple of months out on the distribution curve. The bigger independent distributors make more prints. About 60 percent of Graham's selections come from those bigger outlets. Regardless, if Jason wants a documentary like "The Corporation" (scarier than any horror flick), he goes after it.
Jeff Clark and Elena Powell bought the Magic five years ago. They renovated it from its funky state and upgraded the movie screen and the sound system, but they retained the friendly, noncineplex atmosphere and the dedication to independent film. The owners and Graham consider their venue a community service - and the popcorn is organic.
You might think that the risk-taking choices at the Magic mean risqué, but a look at the upcoming PG-rated films shows that what plays there is more about substance and heart than epic or titillating dollar chasing.
"Millions," playing the first half of June, is about a couple of boys who find a bagful of money and what they do with it - like feeding homeless people or making an unusually large donation to a church collection basket, although there is more to it than charity.
The documentary, "Mad Hot Ballroom," playing the second half of June, tracks 11-year-old public school kids in New York City. Filmed from their point of view, it watches them being groomed to compete as "ladies and gentlemen" in a citywide ballroom dance competition.
In the fall, look for an increasingly popular Magic Theatre happening - the Nevada County Film Festival. This is a strictly home-grown affair. Going into its fifth year, Graham is working to lift it above its fun but lower than low budget-filmmaking roots. He's working to attract more than just local filmmakers.
With due respect for the independent film devotion Sunday nights at the Nevada Theatre, the Magic Theatre is proud to provide two-week runs for its films five days per week. They enhance this schedule by lending the space to the Social Forum Film Series on Tuesdays. There is no spotlight on Amelie's eyes on Mondays.